Apocalypse Gachapon

Chapter 2312: Disappointing

Ye Zhongming set down the papers in his hand and frowned slightly at the descending night outside the window.

Mi Ya came over, glanced at them, and began massaging her manʼs shoulders with moderate pressure.

Since Liang Chuyin would be going up to the sky on the next pickup day and was undergoing body enhancement, it was mostly Mi Ya and Xia Lei who had been accompanying Ye Zhongming lately.

”No good news?”

Ye Zhongming had only returned to Earth for a few days, and no one knew when they would see him again. Mi Ya and Xia Leiʼs intentions were quite clear... it would be best if they could have a child.

For the whole of Cloud Peak, this was also a very important matter.

After Ye Zhongming left, Cloud Peakʼs stability would require Xia Leiʼs skills and authority, but if there could be a legitimate successor—a clear future figure to pledge loyalty to—it would be essential for governing Cloud Peak.

So these past few nights, Mi Ya and Xia Lei had been working hard, and even Liang Chuyin would join in when she had time—more people meant higher odds, after all.

But at times like this, no one wanted the mood to be off, so seeing Ye Zhongming like this, Mi Ya did her best to soothe him.

Ye Zhongming smiled apologetically, patted Mi Yaʼs hand, and said, ”I was just testing my luck. It seems luck isnʼt on my side this time, so though Iʼm disappointed, itʼs only disappointment.”

Mi Ya leaned down, wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her cheek against his, and looked at the papers with him. ”Not in the national region, not in the far north, not in Southeast Asia, not in the Middle East... then could they be in the Americas, Europe, or even Africa?”

These papers recorded the Chameleonʼs investigation results regarding other elemental spirits and the Heavenly King Crown—all confirmed negatives after being suspected.

Ye Zhongming sighed softly. ”Iʼm not sure either. The Chameleon canʼt reach that far yet. Even with some infiltration preparations, differences in appearance, language, and habits would make it extremely difficult. So we can only investigate further once Cloud Peakʼs forces extend there.”

This was the obstacle posed by racial differences. The Chameleon could infiltrate within Asia, but entering non-East Asian regions would present a natural barrier due to physical appearance.

”But even if we found leads, these things would probably have been claimed by someone else long ago, so it wouldnʼt matter much.”

Though Ye Zhongming said this, he was truly disappointed.

He had barely used the Star Spirit and Earth Spirit up in the sky, letting them quietly accumulate energy and level up—after all, they could give him a second life.

The Sea King Crown was also rarely used due to its elemental nature, while the Mountain King Crown was heavily relied upon. It could be said that a third of Ye Zhongmingʼs current strength came from this Dominator equipment.

If he could obtain the Heavenly King Crown and complete the set, there might be additional abilities.

But for now, these couldnʼt be found.

Fortunately, these werenʼt strictly necessary. Among the myriad races, personal strength was the foundation of everything. Take Ye Zhongming now—if he faced a newly evolved nine-star with all elemental spirits and a full set of Dominator equipment but no abilities, he could crush that person countless times without even using any items.

”Still awake? Looks like I came back just in time!” Xia Lei opened the door and came in with a mysterious smile. ”Itʼs getting late—letʼs get down to business.”

Cloud Peakʼs night thus descended.

………………

Morning came, bright and sunny. Ye Zhongming ate breakfast with slight fatigue, while Xia Lei and Mi Ya chatted energetically.

The Cloud Peak King couldnʼt help but wonder if he had kept his physical stats too low.

”Boss.”

Xiao Min knocked and entered after receiving permission.

Since Ye Zhongming had returned to Cloud Peak, the Red Female Guard had taken over all security duties.

Even though Ye Zhongming no longer needed their protection.

”Bai Feng, Sha Sha, and Zhao Xingmei are here—theyʼd like to see you.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhongmingʼs gaze fell on Xia Leiʼs face.

”It should be about the secret realms.”

The Cloud Peak King nodded—he knew about this—and stood up to follow Xiao Min out.

In the living room, Ye Zhongming met the three. They had already seen each other at the bonfire gathering. Counting them, the three were actually Cloud Peakʼs direct affiliates. Among them, Sha Shaʼs battalion was closest to Cloud Peak, essentially no different from a main combat battalion. Bai Feng came next—he had proven his loyalty over time. Zhao Xingmei was furthest behind, but she still took Cloud Peak as her ultimate authority and was one of its most trusted peripheral forces.

Over the years, these three battle squads had grown through fighting for Cloud Peak. Bai Fengʼs battalion had the most personnel, now exceeding five hundred thousand, though their strength varied—mainly tasked with helping Cloud Peak control large areas.

Sha Shaʼs battle squad was the smallest, only fifty thousand, but the strongest, following an elite route. Under Sha Shaʼs war-fanatic leadership, they fought almost daily, using the magic crystals and materials they gained to exchange for resources to arm themselves.

With her good relationships with Xia Lei and others, resources occasionally flowed toward her battalion, forging a powerful force.

Zhao Xingmeiʼs battle squad seemed more average—though only in comparison to Bai Fengʼs and Sha Shaʼs. Outside, she was still formidable and influential. Apart from Cloud Peakʼs main combat battalions, even the Resistance Zone and Glory Army had to give this woman, who commanded two hundred thousand soldiers and various businesses, a measure of respect.

After helping Cloud Peak unify the country, the three battle squads rested for a while, then gradually vanished from public view. Even during the battle with the Demon Whale, they had only come by for a look and left less than a tenth of their forces.

Not because they werenʼt needed, but because they had other tasks.

That task was something Cloud Peak had wanted to try for a long time—officially beginning only after Ye Zhongming went up and sent back confirmation—secret realm pioneering.

Yes, formal entry, occupation, and development!

The earlier small-scale reconnaissance didnʼt count.

And from the start, Cloud Peak had opened two secret realm keys simultaneously! The first was under Bai Fengʼs responsibility, the second under Zhao Xingmeiʼs, while Sha Sha handled support and reinforcement.

The three of them had come together to report to Ye Zhongming.

Seeing Ye Zhongming now, the three had complex expressions.

When they first met this man, he had been weaker than them. He had quickly surpassed them to become a superpower. And now, he was about to take control of the entire globe—and had even gone to the sky and returned.

”Sigh, back then I hesitated and missed the chance to build a close relationship with you. I regret it now. I wonder if thereʼs still a chance? That green bow you gave me—I still keep it, by my bedside in the villa.”

Zhao Xingmei joked as soon as they met.

In truth, anyone who had interacted with Ye Zhongming knew he was gentle with his own people—a stark contrast to his cold cruelty toward enemies. As long as your conscience was clear and you were loyal to the Cloud Peak King, interacting with him wasnʼt too daunting.

Ye Zhongming laughed heartily, feeling nostalgic about their early days. He even glanced at Sha Sha, whose facial birthmark had vanished—after all, in his previous life, there had been some connection with her.

That glance made Sha Sha blush; she remembered that the Cloud Peak King had once supposedly peeked at her bathing.

Of course, she didnʼt know it had been a misunderstanding.

”You all came together—have you run into difficulties developing the secret realms?” Ye Zhongming handed them some water and asked.

The three exchanged glances, and finally Sha Sha spoke. ”If... possible, could you come to the secret realm and take a look?”